Part master class and part performance, Women of Will by Tina Packer, is a unique combination of dramatic scenes and insightful analyses that delivers a memorable night for theatre lovers of all ages. Packer, along with her acting partner Nigel Gore, will take you on a chronological tour of Shakespeare’s plays through the eyes of the complex female characters the Bard created.

Starting with early Shakespeare’s warrior women, including Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, and ending with redemptive women as depicted in his late plays, such as The Winter’s Tale, Packer’s survey will enable you to better appreciate and understand the evolving role of Shakespeare’s female characters. From Cleopatra to Lady Macbeth, all your favorite roles are packed into one unforgettable evening. Through Shakespeare’s heroines, Packer explores themes of love, loss, freedom and control, not to mention the uses and abuses of power.

“When I began work on this piece 12 years ago,” “through a Guggenheim grant, said Packer, I knew it was an unusual journey and a hybrid, as far as theatrical performance is concerned – it is a performance, but it’s also a discussion, a debate (as all Shakespeare’s plays are, in essence). The dramatic tension in the piece comes from influences Shakespeare responded to in his life, and my desire to show how powerful and distinct the women are in his plays.”

Funny, fierce, deep and accessible, Packer’s play about the women in Shakespeare has received wide acclaim. Ben Brantley, New York Times theatre critic, said it was “Marvelous! A subliminally erotic and impassioned exploration of Shakespeare’s heroines.” The Wall Street Journal agreed, calling it “Brilliant! Fearlessly impassioned acting that you’ll remember for as long as you live.” And the New York Post added, “Needless to say, Packer knows her stuff.”

In short, this is must-see live theatre—don’t miss it!

About Tina Packer

Tina Packer, founding artistic director of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, has directed more than 50 Shakespeare productions, as well as several new works. Packer trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she won the Ronson Award for Most Outstanding Performer. In Britain, she was an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performed in the West End, and acted with repertory companies in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leicester, and Coventry. She also has worked for the BBC and ITV television companies and in film.

Where to purchase tickets: The play Women of Will is included in each Conference Package and is also available, unless sold out, for Single Ticket purchase. Purchase tickets online at www.sanmiguelwritersconference2014.org.